Subira Mgalu, the deputy energy minister of Tanzania unveiled the country's plans of expanding its current power generation capacity by six times to 10,000 MW by 2025 through investments in thermal and renewable energy.

Subira Mgalu, told the parliament in the country's capital Dodoma that the move is part of the government's mission to reel in investors in the power and energy sector.

Mgalu said, "Implementation of various power generation projects will increase the capacity of our national power grid from 1,602 megawatts (MW) presently to 10,000 megawatts by 2025." 

In response to a question by the Special Seats MP Zainab Katimba, Mgalu said, "We need to have abundant and reliable power from an energy mix that includes hydropower, natural gas, solar and wind."

To meet the 10,000 MW  target by 2025, the minister highlighted a few projects that would help achieve this goal, such as the expansion of the Kinyerezi I natural gas power plant from 150 MW to 335 MW whose implementation is scheduled to completed by August, this year and the Mtwara MW 300 power project under the sponsorship of the Japan International Cooperation Agency which is expected to be done by March next year.

The government also granted a tender last year to a joint venture of Egyptian companies, El Sewedy Electric Co and Arab Contractors, to construct a $3-billion hydroelectric plant at Stiegler's Gorge that will produce 2,100 MW upon completion in three years time.

Tanzania also has plans to export surplus electricity to energy-starved nations in eastern and southern Africa once it has boosted its generation capacity.